Flashlight



May 31,- 1938. B. F. MULDboN FLASHP-IGHT Filed Mafch 26, 1936 61nd! ML, IYNVENTOR ATTORNEA'ZF Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT Bernard F. Muldoon, Mountain'View, N. J., as-

s'ignor to Henry Hyman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 26, 1936, Serial No. 70,946

4 Claims. (01. 24010.6)

This invention relates to a flashlight that is bright to reflect rays of light from the lamp bulb especially useful in connection with signaling. of the flashlight against the inside surfaces of By this invention a flashlight is made in sucha the glass II to light it up. way that it is readily visible from the sides as The usual reflector l5 for the flashlight is well as the lighted end. located at the upper end of the'flashlight I with 5 In carrying out the invention glass windows, the lamp bulb I6 as usual. which may be made of different colors if desired, Instead of having a reflector l3 to reflect rays are provided'along the circular periphery of the v of light against the glass ring II, as shown in cap which holds the glass, these windows being in Fig. 2, the glass ring may be made as shown in position so that they are illuminated by rays of Fig. 4 with annular dovetail shaped grooves I! 10 light from the regular bulb for the light, so that therein to provide stepped or ofiset portions with these windows are conspicuously .visible from the annular sloping reflecting surface I! and with 1 sides of the flashlight. circular vertical portions 20, so that the rays of The invention will be understood from the delight which strike the surfaces I! are reflected scription in connection with the accompanying against the portions 20 and illuminate the same drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the to make the glass ring l'l conspicuously visible. flashlight in which the invention is included; Fig. Other means can be used to avoid the likeli- 2-is a section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 hood of the glass ring that closes the windows I0 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and being invisible or only dimly visible because the Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing a rays from the bulbl6 passing near the inner modification. surface of the ring extend so nearly parallel In the drawing, reference character I indicates thereto. For example, the inside surface of the a flashlight that may be provided with the usual glass ring may be provided with irregularities, button switch 2 along one side and screw cap 3 such as hills and valleys, beads, bumps, or striaat its lower end for replacing the battery. The tions, thus interrupting rays of light and making upper end of the flashlight is screw threaded in the outside of this glass more readily visible. the usual way as indicated by thereference char- This invention may be used very conveniently a'cter 4. as an auxiliary marine light, especially when the The usual cap of a flashlight at the lamp bulb glass is made up of semi-circular portions that end is replaced, in the present-invention, by the are respectively colored red and green. Signalcap 5. ing with this device when carried in the user's This cap 5 is provided with a screw threaded hand is also facilitated, because the light can be portion 6 by which it is screwed onto the screw seen from the front as well as the sides. Therethl'eaded end 4 0f the flashlight l. The screw fore it is considerably safer for pedestrians to threaded Portion 5 s inflected y a p ur y o use on highways and is also well adapted for integral metal strips I to the top portion 8 of the use by traffic omcers at night. cap which may be made octagonal around the I claim: upper edge similar to the way caps of this sort 1. In a flashlight having a lamp bulb, a cap are frequently made. The usual glass 9 is carried at thelamp end having windows, and a circular at the outer end of the cap 5. strip of colored glass in front of said windows, 40

Arc-shaped windows It are left between the said glass being provided along its inner surface strips 1 and circular or arc-shaped glass H flts with an annular rib having an outwardly reflectinside of the cap 5 against the inner surfaces of ing surface in the path of rays of light from said the strips 1. This glass may be made in the form lamp bulb. of a ring or it. may be madeup of arc-shaped 2. In a flashlight having a lamp bulb, a cap strips with the ends abutting to form a complete at the lamp end having windows, and a circular circle or ring. For example, this glass may be strip of colored glass in front of said windows, made in two semi-circular pieces H and II", said glass being provided along its inner surface as shown in Fig. 2, and may be of different colors, with anannular rib, one wall of which is parallel such as red and green for example. to the outer surface of said translucent material, so In order to make the glass II more conspicusaid rib having an outwardly reflecting surface ously visible from the sides of the flashlight, an in the path of rays of light from saidlamp bulb. annular reflector IS in the form of a truncated 3. In a flashlight having a lamp bulb, a cap cone may be installed just below the glass 8, this at the lamp end having its sides of translucent reflector having its lower surface I mirrored or material, said translucent material being provided along its inner surface with a rib having an outwardly reflecting surface in the path of the diameter of said cyiindrically shaped translucent material being substantially the same as that of the larger end of said reflector, and refracting means integral with said translucent Y material to difiuse the light passing therethrough.

to thus render said translucent material more visible from the outside when light from said lamp bulb strikes its inner surface, said translucent material being outside of the main beam of light from said lamp bulb which is used for 10 lighting purposes.

BERNARD F; MULDOON. 

